USA > Louisiana > Historical collections of Louisiana : embracing translations of many rare and valuable documents relating to the natural, civil and political history of that state > Part 14
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" Mighty lord, with shame and fear of your lordship, because my subjects against my will have done amiss in absenting themselves, I went my way without your license; and knowing the error which I have committed, like a loyal subject, I come to yield myself into your power, to dispose of me at your own pleasure. For my subjects do not obey me, nor do anything but what an uncle of mine commandeth, which governeth this country for me, until I be of a perfect age. If your lordship will pursue them, and execute on them that, which for their disobedience they deserve, I will be your guide, since at this present my fortune will not suffer me to perform any more."
Presently, the Governor with thirty horsemen, and as many footmen, went to seek the Indians, and passing by some towns of the principal Indians which had absented themselves, he cut and destroyed great fields of maize; and went up the river, where the Indians were in an island, where the horsemen could not come at them. There he sent them word by an Indian to return to their town and fear nothing, and that they should give his men to carry burdens, as all those behind had done; for he would have no Indian women, seeing they were so loth to part with them. The Indians accepted his request, and came to the Governor to excuse themselves; and so all of them returned to their town. A cacique of a province called Coste, came to this town to visit the Governor. After he had offered himself, and passed with him some words of tendering his service and courtesy, the Governor asking him whether he had notice of any rich country? he said yea: to wit, that toward the north there was a province named Chisca :* and that there was a melting of copper, and of another metal of the same color, save that it was finer, and of a far more per- feet color, and far better to the sight; and that they used it not so much, because it was softer. And the self same thing was told the Governor in Cutifuchiqui, where we saw some little hatchets of cop- per, which were said to have a mixture of gold. But in that part
. Chisca is directly north from Cutifachiqui, which is within two days of St. Helena.
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the country was not well peopled, and they said there were mountains, which the horses could not pass : and for that cause, the Governor would not go from Cutifachiqui directly thither : and he made ac- count, that traveling through a peopled country, when his men and horses should be in better plight, and he were better certified of the truth of the thing, he would return toward it, by mountains, and a better inhabited country, whereby he might have better passage. He sent two Christians from Chiaha with certain Indians which .knew the country of Chisca, and the language thereof, to view it, and to make report of that which they should find; where he told them that he would tarry for them.
When the Governor was determined to depart from Chiaha to Coste, he sent for the cacique to come before him, and with gentle words took his leave of him, and gave him certain things, wherewith he rested much contented. In seven days he came to Coste. The second of July he commanded his camp to be pitched two crossbow shots from the town : and with eight men of his guard he went where he found the cacique, which to his thinking received him with great love. As he was talking with him, there went from the camp certain footmen to the town to seek some maize, and not contented with it, they ran- sacked and searched the houses, and took what they found. With this despite, the Indians began to rise and to take their arms: and some of them, with cudgels in their hands, ran upon five or six Chris- tians, which had done them wrong, and beat them at their pleasure. The Governor seeing them all in an uproar, and himself among them with so few Christians, to escape their hands used a stratagem, far against his own disposition, being, as he was, very frank and open : and though it grieved him very much that any Indian should be so bold, as with reason, or without reason to despise the Christians, he took up a cudgel, and took their parts against his own men; which was a means to quiet them. And presently he sent word by a man very secretly to the camp, that some armed men should come toward the place where he was; and he took the cacique by the hand, using very mild words unto him, and with some principal Indians that did accompany him, he drew them out of the town into a plain way, and unto the sight of the camp, whither by little and little with good dis- cretion the Christians began to come and to gather about them. Thus the Governor led the cacique and his chief men until he entered with them into the camp: and near unto his tent he commanded them to be put in safe custody; and told them that they should not depart
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without giving him a guide and Indians for burdens, and till certain sick Christians were come, which he had commanded to come down the river in canoes from Chiaha; and those also which he had sent to the province of Chisca: '(for they were not returned; and he feared that the Indians had slain the one, and the other.) Within three days after, those which were sent to Chisca returned, and made report that the Indians had carried them through a country so poor of maize, and so rough, and over so high mountains, that it was im- possible for the army to travel that way; and that seeing the way grew very long, and that they lingered much, they consulted to return from a little poor town, where they saw nothing that was of any profit, and brought an ox bide, which the Indians gave them, as thin as a calf's skin, and the hair like a soft wool, between the coarse and fine wool of sheep. The cacique gave a guide, and men for burdens, and departed with the Governor's leave. The Governor departed from Coste the ninth of July, and lodged at a town called Tali. The ca- cique came forth to receive him on the way, and made this speech :-
" Excellent lord and prince, worthy to be served and obeyed of all the princes in the world; howsoever for the most part by the outward physiognomy the inward virtue may be judged, and that who you are, and of what strength, was known unto me before now : I will not infer hercupon how mean I am in your presence, to hope that my poor services will be grateful and acceptable: since whereas strength faileth, the will doth not cease to be praised and accepted. And for this cause I presume to request your lordship, that you will be pleased only to respect the same, and consider wherein you will command my service in this your country."
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The Governor answered him, that his good-will and offer was as acceptable unto him as if he had offered him all the treasures of the world, and that he would always entreat, favor, and esteem him as if he were his own brother. The cacique commanded provision neces- sary for two days, while the Governor was there, to be brought thither : and at the time of his departure, he gave him four women and two men, which he had need of to bear burdens. The Governor traveled six days through many towns subject to the cacique of Coca : and as he entered into his country many Indians came unto him every day from the cacique, and met him on the way with messages, one going, and another coming. He came to Coca upon Friday, the 20th of July. The cacique came forth to receive him two crossbow shots from the town in a chair, which his principal men carried on their shoul-
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ders, sitting upon a cushion, and covered with a garment of marterns, of the fashion and bigness of a woman's huke : he had on his head a diadem of feathers, and round about him many Indians playing upon flutes, and singing. As soon as he came unto the Governor, he did his obeyance, and uttered these words following :-
" Excellent and mighty lord, above all them of the earth, al- though I come but now to receive you, yet I have received you many days ago in my heart, to wit, from the day wherein I had first notice of your lordship: with so great desire to serve you, with so great pleasure and contentment, that this which I make show of, is nothing in regard of that which is in my heart, neither can it have any kind of comparison. This you may hold for certain, that to obtain the dominion of the whole world, would not have rejoiced me so much as. your sight, neither would I have held it for so great a felicity. Do not look for me to offer you that which is your own, to wit, my per- son, my lands, and subjects; only I will busy myself in commanding. my men with all diligence and due reverence to welcome you from hence to the town with playing and singing, where your lordship shall be lodged and attended upon by myself and them ; and all that I possess your lordship shall use as it were your own. For your lordship shall do me a very great favor in so doing."
The Governor gave him thanks, and with great joy they both went conferring together till they came to the town ; and he commanded his Indians to void their houses, wherein the Governor and his men were lodged. There was in the barns and in the fields great store of maize and French beans. The country was greatly inhabited with many great towns, and many sown fields, which reached from the one to the other. It was pleasant, fat, full of good meadows upon rivers. There . were in the fields many plum trees, as well of such as grow in Spain as of the country; and wild tall vines, that run up the trees; and besides these there were other low vines with big and sweet grapes; but for want of digging and dressing, they had great kernels in them. The Governor used to set a guard over the caciques, because they should not absent themselves, and carried them with him till he came out of their countries; because that carrying them along with him, he looked to find people in the towns, and they gave him guides, and men to carry burdens; and before he went out of their countries, he gave them license to return to their houses, and to their porters like- wise, as soon as he came to any other lordship where they gave him others. The men of Coca seeing their lord detained, took it in evil
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part, and revolted, and hid themselves in the woods, as well those of the town of the cacique, as those of the other towns of his princi- pal subjects. The Governor sent out four captains, every one his way, to seek them. They took many men and women, which were put into chains. They seeing the hurt which they received, and how little they gained in absenting themselves, came again, promising to do whatsoever they were commanded. Of those which were taken prisoners, some principal men were set at liberty, whom the cacique demanded; and every one that had any, carried the rest in chains like slaves, without letting them go to their country. Neither did any re- turn, but some few, whose fortune helped them with the good dili- gence which they used to file off their chains by night, or such as in their traveling could slip aside out of the way, seeing any negligence in them that kept them; some escaped away with the chains, and with the burdens and clothes which they carried.
The Governor rested in Coca twenty-five days. He departed from thence the twentieth of August, to seek a province called Tascaluca; he carried with him the cacique of Coca. He passed that day by a great town called Tallimuchase; the people were fled; he lodged half a league further, near a brook. The next day he came to a town called Ytaua, subject to Coca. He staid there six days, because of a river that passed by it, which at that time was very high; and as soon as the river suffered him to pass, he set forward, and lodged at a town named Ullilahali. There came to him on the way, of the caciques in behalf of that province, ten or twelve principal Indians to offer him their service ; all of them had their plumes of feathers, and bows and arrows. The Governor coming to the town with twelve horsemen, and some footmen of his guard, leaving his people a crossbow shot from the town, entered into it; he found all the Indians with their weapons, and as far as he could guess, they seemed to have some evil meaning. It was known afterwards that they were determined to take the cacique of Coca from the Governor, if he had requested it. The Governor commanded all his people to enter the town, which was walled about, and near unto it passed a small river. The wall, as well of that as of others, which afterwards we saw, was of great posta thrust deep into the ground, and very rough; and many long rails, as big as one's arm, laid across between them, and the wall was about the height of a lance, and it was daubed within and without with clay, and had loopholes. On the other side of the river was a town, where at that present the cacique was. The Governor sent to call him,
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and he came presently. After he had passed with the Governor some words of offering his services, he gave him such men for his carriages as he needed, and thirty women for slaves. In that place was a Christian lost, called Mancano, born in Salamanca, of noble parent- age, which went astray to seek for grapes, whereof there is great store, and those very good. The day that the Governor departed from thence, he lodged at a town, subject to the lord of Ullilahali; and the next day he came to another town called Toasi. The Indians gave the Governor thirty women, and such men for his carriages as he needed. He traveled ordinarily five or six leagues a day, when he traveled through peopled countries; and going through deserts, he marched as fast as he could, to eschew the want of maize. From Toasi, passing through some towns subject to a cacique, which was lord of a province called Tallise, he traveled five days. He came to Tallise the 18th of September. The town was great, and situated near unto a main river. On the other side of the river were other towns, and many fields sown with maize. On both sides it was a very plentiful country, and had store of maize ; they had voided the town. The Governor commanded to call the cacique ; who came, and between them passed some words of love and offer of his services, and he pre- sented unto him forty Indians. There came to the Governor in this town, a principal Indian in the behalf of the cacique of Tascaluca, and made this speech following :--
"Mighty, virtuous, and esteemed lord, the great cacique of Tasca- luca, my lord, sendeth by me to kiss your lordship's hands, and to let . you understand that he hath notice how you justly ravish with your perfections and power, all men on the earth ; and that every one by whom your lordship passeth, doth serve and obey you, which he ac- knowledgeth to be due unto you, and desireth, as his life, to see and to serve your lordship. For which cause by me he offereth himself, his lands and subjects, that when your lordship pleaseth to go through his country, you may be received with all peace and love, served and obeyed; and that in recompense of the desire he hath to see you, you will do him the favor to let him know when you will come; for how much the sooner, so much the greater favor he shall receive."
The Governor received and dispatched him graciously, giving him beads, which among them were not much esteemed, and some other things to carry to his lord. And he gave license to the Cacique of Cora to return home to his own country. The Cacique of Tallise gave him such men for burdens as he needed. And after he had
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rested there twenty days, he departed thence towards Tascaluca. That day when he went from Tallise, he lodged at a great town called Casiste. And the next day passed by another, and came to a small town of Tascaluca; and the next day he camped in a wood, two leagues from the town where the cacique resided, and was at that time. And he sent the master of the camp, Luys de Moscoso, with fifteen horsemen, to let him know he was coming. The cacique was- in his lodgings under a canopy; and without doors, right against his lodgings, in a high place, they spread a mat for him, and two cushions one upon another, where he sat him down, and his Indians placed themselves round about him, somewhat distant from him, so that they made a place, and a void room where he sat; and his chiefest men were nearest to him, and one with a shadow of deer skin, which kept the sun from him, being round and of the bigness of a target, quarter- ed with black and white, having a rundle in the midst; afar off it seemed to be of taffeta, because the colors were very perfect. It was set on a small staff stretched wide out. This was the device which he carried in his war's. He was a man of a very tall stature, of great limbs, and spare, and well proportioned, and was much feared of his neighbors and subjects. He was lord of many territories and much people. In his countenance he was very grave. After the master of the camp had spoken with him, he and those that went with him coursed their horses, prancing them to and fro, and now and then towards the place where the cacique was, who, with much gravity and dissimulation now and then lifted up his eyes, and beheld them, as it were, with disdain. At the Governor's coming, he made no offer at all to rise. The Governor took him by the hand, and both of them sat down together on a seat which was under the cloth of state. The cacique said these words unto him :-
" Mighty lord, I bid your lordship right heartily welcome. I re- ceive as much pleasure and contentment with your sight, as if you were my brother, whom I dearly loved ; upon this point it is not need- ful to use many reasons; since it is no discretion to speak that in many words, which in few may be uttered. How much the greater the will is, so much more giveth it name to the works, and the works give testimony of the truth. Now touching my will, by it you shall know how certain and manifest it is, and how pure inclination I have to serve you. Concerning the favor which you did me, in the things which you sent me, I make as much account of them as is reason to esteem them, and chiefly because they were yours. Now see what service you will command me."
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The Governor satisfied him with sweet words and with great brevity. When he departed from thence he determined to carry him along with him for some cause, and at two days' journey he came to a town called Piache, by which there passed a great river. The Governor demanded canoes of the Indians ; they said they had them not, but that they would make rafts of canes and dry timber, on which he might pass well enough. And they made them with all diligence and speed, and they governed them ; and because the water went very slow, the Governor and his people passed very well.
From the Port de Spirito Santo to Apalache, which is about an hundred leagues, the Governor went from east to west; and from Apalache to Cutifachiqui, which are four hundred and thirty leagues from the south-west to the north-east; and from Cutifachiqui to Xualla, which are about two hundred and fifty leagues from the south to the north; and from Xualla to Tascaluca, which are two hundred and fifty leagues more, an hundred and ninety of them he traveled from east to west, to wit, to the province of Coca, and the other sixty from Coça to Tascaluca from the north to the south.
Ilaving passed the river of Piache, a Christian went from his com- pany from thence to seek a woman slave that was run away from him, and the Indians either took him captive, or slew him. The Governor urged the cacique that he should give account of him, and threatened him that if he were not found he would never let him loose. The cacique sent an Indian from thence to Mavilla, whither they were traveling, which was a town of a principal Indian and his subject, . saying that he sent him to advise them to make ready victuals, and men for carriages. But (as afterwards appeared) he sent him to assemble all the men of war thither that he had in his country. The Governor traveled three days, and the third day he passed all day through a peopled country, and he came to Mavilla upon Monday the 18th of October, 1540. He went before the camp with fifteen horsemen and thirty footmen. And from the town came a Christian, whom he had sent to the principal man, three or four days before, because he should not absent himself, and also to learn in what sort the Indians were ; who told him that he thought they were in an evil purpose ; for while he was there, there came many people into the town, and many weapons, and that they made great haste to fortify the walls. Luys de Moscoso told the Governor that it would be good to lodge in the field, seeing the Indians were of such disposition; and he answered, that he would lodge iu the town, for he was weary of
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lodging in the field. When he came near unto the town, the cacique came forth to receive him with many Indians playing upon flutes and singing. And after he had offered himself, he presented him with three mantles of marterns. The Governor, with both the caciques,' and seven or eight men of his guard, and three or four horsemen, which alighted to accompany him, entered into the town, and sat him down under a cloth of state. The cacique of Tascaluca requested him that he would let him remain in that town, and trouble him no more with traveling. And seeing he would not give him leave, in his talk he changed his purpose, and dissemblingly feigned that he would speak with some principal Indians, and rose up from the place where he sat with the Governor, and entered into a house, where many Indians were with their bows and arrows. The Governor when he saw he returned not, called him, and he answered that he would not come out from thence, neither would he go any farther than that town, and that if he would go his way in peace, he should presently depart, and should not seek to carry him perforce out of his country and territory.
The Governor seeing the determination and furious answer of the cacique, went about to pacify him with fair words ; to which he gave no answer, but rather with much pride and disdain, withdrew himself where the Governor might not see him nor speak with him. As a principal Indian passed that way, the Governor called him, to send him word that he might remain at his pleasure in his country, and that it would please him to give him a guide, and men for carriages, to see if he could pacify him with mild words. The Indians an- swered with great pride, that he would not hearken unto him. Bal- tasar de Gallegos, which stood by, took hold of a gown of marterns which he had on, and he cast it over his head, and left it in, his hands : and because all of them immediately began to stir, Bultasur de Gallegos gave him such a wound with his cutlass, that he opened him down the back, and presently all the Indians with a great cry came out of the houses shooting their arrows. The Governor con- sidering that if he tarried there, he could not escape, and if he com- manded his men to come in, which were without the town, the In- dians within the houses might kill their horses, and do much hurt, ran out of the town, and before he came out, he fell twice or thrice, and those that were with him did help him up again; and he and those that were with him were sore wounded; and in a moment there were five Christians slain in the town. The Governor came
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running out of the town, crying out that every man should stand farther off, because from the wall they did them much hurt. The Indians secing that the Christians retired, and some of them, or the most part, more than an ordinary pace, shot with great boldness at them, and struck down such as they could overtake. The Indians which the Christians did lead with them in chains, had laid down their burdens near unto the walls; and as soon as the Governor and his men were retired, the men of Mavilla laid them on the Indians' backs again, and took them into the town, and loosed them presently from their chains, and gave them bows and arrows to fight withal. Thus they possessed themselves of all the clothes and pearls, and all that the Christians had, which their slaves carried. And because the Indians had been always peaceable until we came to this place, some of our men had their weapons in their fardels, and remained unarmed. And from others that had entered the town with the Governor they had taken swords and halberds, and fought with them. When the Governor was gotten into the field, he called for a horse, and with some that accompanied him, he returned and slew two or three In- dians. All the rest retired themselves to the town, and shot with their bows from the wall. And those which presumed of their nimbleness, sallied forth to fight a stone's cast from the wall. And when the Christians charged them, they retired themselves at their leisure into the town. At the time that the broil began, there were in the town a friar and a priest, and a servant of the Governor, with a woman slave; and they had no time to come out of the town, and they took a house, and so remained in the town. The Indians being become masters of the place, they shut the door with a field gate ; and among them was one sword which the Governor's servant had, and with it he set himself behind the door, thrusting at the Indians which sought to come into them ; and the friar and the priest stood on the other side, each of them with a bar in their hands to beat him down that first came in. The Indians secing they could not get in by the door, began to uncover the house top. By this time all the horsemen and footmen which were behind, were come to Marilla. Here there were sundry opinions, whether they should charge the Indians to enter the town, or whether they should leave it, because it was hard to enter; and in the end it was resolved to set upon them.
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